Category: Celebrity

‘First time I saw that nowhere man, that nobody, I knew he was somebody!’

As massive fans of the Beatles and the wonderful creation, The Yellow Submarine; we are over the moon to reveal this exclusive TruffleShuffle launch of Yellow Submarine clothing! Can you imagine the sheer excitement when we landed this exclusive? We were like teenage girls in the actual 60’s, seeing the actual band….that’s a lot of love, right? Paying homage to a great movie and album by the ultimate fab 4, we’re excited to have this collection available for all true fans to revel in. The silly humour, off the wall charm and psychedelic imagery still melts our heart decades on.

Show a heap of appreciation for the legendary band and awesome characters featured in the 1968 hit with our selection of Yellow Submarine t-shirts, Yellow Submarine art prints, mugs and more!

Pepperland isn’t the only cheerful, music loving Paradise to exist as a Beatles fan…if you don’t believe us, check out the products in this exclusive launch. A collection of Yellow Submarine t-shirts and more…made by fans, for fans.

‘I have always loved the Yellow Submarine film, the combination of crazy storyline, psychedelic animation, loveable (and terrifying) characters and of course a whole host of fantastic songs by the Beatles was a winning combination. Because of this it was a dream come true to get the chance to work on official Yellow Submarine merchandise!

With this initial range I really wanted to portray the unique animation style of the film with big bold colourful prints of the original movie poster as well as classic Beatles poses. A personal favourite is the metal sign featuring the line you can’t help but sing along to “All You Need Is Love”.

I hope I’ve managed to design something that will resonate with fans of the film and I’m really looking forward to working on some more Yellow Submarine goods! –

Hello Rolling Stones Tour! #StonesNoFilterThere are some announcements we pay way more attention to than others…BUT, when The Rolling Stones announce a UK and Europe tour for 2018 (with a high chance of them being near enough for us to attend), boydo we suggest you listen. As in, put your lunch down, open your jaw for a few moments and frantically scroll to the dates allowing you to work out which date has your name on it.

It’s the bands return to the UK after a 5 year gap, so it’s time to choose your fave tee, get the moves like (you guessed it) Jagger, and rock up to one of their shows in style.

Here’s a reminder of your fave Rolling Stone’s t-shirts from Amplified, all available to purchase from TruffleShuffle right now.

Now… unless you’ve been travelling off in far and distant lands with no contact from the outside world, or you’ve completely drained all the possible data from your phone, you miiiiight have spotted some online commotion surrounding the next Doctor Who.

Revealed on the BBC in a trailer at the end of the Wimbledon men’s singles final, fans were shown a glimpse of who will be cast as the 13th Doctor Who and we for one are pretty darn excited!

Yep! Best known for her leading role in the crime drama Broadchurch alongside former Doctor David Tennant and Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker will be taking over from Peter Capaldi after his final appearance in the 2017 Christmas special.
The first female actor to be playing the doctor since the show began back in 1963, the news has taken the online world and forums by storm as people share their reactions.

Sure to shake things up a bit and bring a whole new ‘dimension’ to the role, we’re pretty bloomin’ excited to see Doctor Who moving forward and we’re sure this will only help to inject much more global enthusiasm for the new series. Top work BBC!

Show writer Chris Chibnall had this to say “I always knew I wanted the Thirteenth Doctor to be a woman and we’re thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for The Doctor simply blew us all away. Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role. The Thirteenth Doctor is on her way.”

Anyone else suuuuper excited for the next season of Doctor Who already??

We’re getting geared up and ready to live everything Dr Who with our big range of Doctor Who Merchandise including Clothing, Gifts, Bedding and more! Take a peep at some of our top picks for any Whovian…

Ever since Hollywood took a perhaps.. fanatical interest in the weird and wonderful work of superheroes and the butt-kicking movies from DC and Marvel start to really stream out of the studios (10 superhero films planned between 2016 and 2020 alone!), the world has been crying out for our beloved heroine Wonder Woman to get the screen time she truly deserves. When we first heard the new back in late 2014, we knew our pleas had been heard. We knew this would quickly become something of a big deal and it’s not safe to say it truly has!

Taking on this movie was we’re sure no easy task with fans all over the world craving some serious Wonder Woman action and nothing but the very best would do.

With so much hype surrounding this latest dive into the superhero world already and the UK release just a few hours away (1st June 2017), we thought we would take some time to give you our personal Top 5 Reasons We’re Expecting Wonder Woman To Rock! Enjoy…

The Action…

Any superhero films these days needs a pretty decent amount of action and drama right? We’re expecting nothing less than all out war sprinkled with slow-motion shots, strong posses and a splash of Lasso of Truth action.

Directed by Patty Jenkins who is previously know for here film ‘Monster’, we don’t think that any action will become all encompassing though. Potentially making a nice chance form recent releases, we’re expecting any action to be carefully considered and choreographed without the usual sniff of 20minute fight scenes which would have really been just 5. Not action for action sake but only adding to the excitement levels and showcasing the characters strength and power.

The Wardrobe…

We’re sure you’ve seen the posters and clips by now revealing here stunning look for this picture. It’s a killer right?! Strong and true to the original, this outfit shows that you can be hard as nails, take on the best and win and look seriously glam doing it!

With a lot of her and other cast members styles taking on their warrior looks, they really looked to have nailed the fierce yet sophisticated image with lots of golds, and earth tones. Take a peep at some other snaps..

The Cast…

No superhero film would truly be complete without a star-studded line up right?! Wonder Woman is certainly sure not to disappoint on this front!

Wonder Woman – Gal Gadot
Israeli actress and model (and former Miss Israel!) best known for her work in the Fast and Furious films and later as Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Gal can bring a high level of class, sophistication and can sure pack a punch.

Stebe Trevor – Chris Pine
LA born Chris cut his teach in the world of TV acting. He quickly rose to movie fame in 2004 ‘s Princess Diaries 2 and later in 2009 hit Star Trek. Since then he has continued his movie success being a part of Unstoppable (2010), This Means War (2012), People Like Us (2012), and the sequel Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). Often mischievous but charming, we’re hoping to see him bring out some of Princess Diana’s fin side.

General Antiope – Robin Wright
You might recognise her from 1987’s classic The Princess Bride where she played… The Princess Bride. Since then she has landed a number of roles in films including The Playboys (1992), Toys (1992), Forrest Gump (1994) and later a lead role in top TV hit House of Cards. Incredibly talented and a sure to bring some warrior attitude to the role.

Sir Patrick – David Thewlis
Professor Remus John Lupin! Sorry… be cool. Blackpool born actor, David made his way into the movie biz with roles in titles including Naked (1993), DragonHeart (1996), Restoration (1995), Black Beauty (1994) and later Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Looking forward to hee his next role in Wonder Woman for sure!

The Cinematography…

From the tailor and screen shots alone, we can see that the locations, landscapes and camera work is likely to bring something really special to the franchise. Superhero films have always been a good opportunity to get creative given their other worldly nature and bigger budgets, Matthew Jensen seems to have captured our imaginations to a tee with fantastic visuals and scenes.

Epic landscapes, amazing action close-ups and awe-inspiring wise shots with so much to breathe in really look to give this some depth and a mix of focus. Moody, colourful and grand… it’s got the lot!

Of course we love rocking our tees all year round, rain or shine, movie release or not, however getting to wear something from our childhood while supporting a modern adaptation really keep our fandom alive and well and is sure to raise a smile or two in the process. WIN WIN! Take a peep…

It’s not only clothing though! We’ve had sooo much buzz surrounding some of our Wonder Woman accessories it’s unreal! This Wonder Woman Bag has taken the site by storm and is such a great way to show your love in funky style. Our Wonder Woman notebooks are sure to let people know who’s boss either at school, college, uni or the boardroom. Take your pick!

So enough about us! What are you most looking forward too? Or perhaps you’ve already seen it! What did you most like and why? Let us know with a comment below.
Enjoy!

This is the TruffleShuffle blog, quiet, peaceful, serene… that is until our new The Raccoons TShirts and COMPETITION wakes up! Yaaaahoooooo!

Luckily, we have a good friend to help us out in the form of The Raccoons creator Kevin Gillis!

Like busy little Raccoons ourselves, we’ve been hard at work with Kevin to create some all new and exclusive Raccoons T-Shirts which are now on the site! We have one new design which has been lovingly screen printed onto four styles and colours including grey & white tees, blue vest and a grey baseball raglan TShirt!

To celebrate our latest arrivals in style and give you guys a little glimpse into the world behind The Raccoons, we stole Kevin away and threw some questions at him (don’t worry we were gentle). Take a look below to see what we found out from the man himself….

Hi Kevin, thanks for taking to time to chat with us! So… we hear you’re currently working on a reboot of The Raccoons which we’re very excited about! What made you decide to do this and how will it differ to the classic 1980s series?

A lot of the Raccoons fans are now having kids of their own. Many of them were reaching out and suggesting that we should think about doing a re-launch and aim it towards them and their new families – sort of a co-viewing opportunity. It was a very difficult process trying to decide which direction to go. Do you keep the ‘classic’ animation style – updating it from the original, or do you create a brand new modern approach to the characters’ style? Further, do you stay 2D as the original was – or do you go CGI – which many of the pre-school shows are produced in? We have opted to update the original designs but kept much of the traditional classic tone and look that The Raccoons were known for.
Stay tuned – as the jury is still out!

Not that we’re biased, but the 80s and 90s produced some of the best cartoons ever, of course including The Raccoons. What do you think made this such a special and iconic time for the entertainment biz?

Up to this time, most of the animation we had known came from large US animation studios who had created their own iconic styles: Hanna-Barbera; Disney; Warner Bros; etc. Suddenly there was an appetite – mostly driven by broadcasters and young upstart studios and producers, to reach beyond the US fare and create new characters and styles of their own. It was a time when promoting independent creativity was cultivated. It was before the accountants ran the broadcasting systems – and original untested ideas from young writers, producers and directors had an opportunity to reach an audience.

Although we’re sure there are many, if there was just one lesson you would like us 80s kids to have taken away from the years growing up with The Raccoons, what would it be?

Hah! Well, seeding an interest in our fragile environment would have to be near the top of my list. That — and enjoying the characters and their stories.

Which other classic cartoon show would you most have liked to have been a part of and why?

I’ve always been a fan of The Simpsons. I guess I like dysfunctional family comedies. They seem so real! And The Simpsons was ground-breaking, giving rise to a burgeoning field of adult animation. And let’s not forget some of the great pioneer shows of animated comedy: The Flintstones, The Bugs Bunny Hour!

Who were your favourite characters from the series and why?

Writing for a villain is always fun. Cyril Sneer was no cookie-cutter villain. He was much more grey than black-hearted. He had a very soft spot for his son Cedric and was vulnerable to early childhood emotional scars – his obsessive need to constantly prove himself to Mr. Knox and Mr. Mammoth come to mind, as does his all-encompassing distaste for anything that the Raccoons were up to – especially Bert!
I think Cyril’s complexity made him a favourite of mine. Can’t decide between the Pigs or Bert after that. They were both fun. Interestingly, the actor who played both Bert and Pig #2 (the “sycophantic, slow” one) brought both characters to life and made my job worth getting up for every single day. He was Bert Raccoon incarnate! Sadly, Len Carlson has moved on to the Evergreen Forest in the sky, where I am sure he is dreaming up new-fangled adventures just as Bert Raccoon would!

If you could go back and do it all over again, what one thing would you most like to change about The Raccoons? Perhaps a character trait? Storyline? Or maybe something about how it was made?

That’s easy: in hindsight, I would not have had Cyril with a cigar. We of course wanted to make Cyril the anti-hero and gave him character traits that you would not aspire to emulate as a child: how he treated his underlings (employees), his rants, his paranoia, his unending quest for wealth over anything else, his destruction of the environment, even his control over his son’s friends. We thought a cigar would just add to the persona. Regrettably, it has become a bit of an albatross as today’s broadcasters are concerned that it is politically incorrect and are reluctant to broadcast the series.

We’ve always imagined working on one of our childhood favourite shows to be an absolute dream job (apart from creating amazing tees with them on that is!). Were there any funny stories or goings on in the making of The Raccoons you can share?

I’m afraid if I did my life would be in danger.

Did you ever slip any ‘Easter eggs’ or hidden gems into any of the episodes? We’d love to look out for them if so!

We did our best to seek them out and destroy them. The animators, being the “paragons of virtue” that they are, would occasionally try to create, shall we say, visual “double-entendres”. I will leave it to your imagination what we were able to find. I’m sure we didn’t get them all – so if you find one, keep it to yourself. Check the Pigs scenes – they were notoriously risqué. Also the backgrounds in Cyril’s mansion – you never know what you are going to find in those dark recesses.

With huge changes in how shows are made these days, how do you feel kid’s cartoons have changed since The Raccoons first came out? Are there any new series that you’ve seen and are a fan of?

I am fortunate to have worked on a number of animated shows since The Raccoons with many talented young writers, animators, directors, actors, designers, etc. I have always been a fan of original designs and unique story-telling that pushes the accepted boundaries. I think what we did on Atomic Betty set game rules. Computer assisted animation has made a huge difference. In many cases you don’t even have to know how to draw to work as an animator on a series. Creating and colouring fabulous backgrounds has become quicker and easier. The time to deliver a series is much faster – so the relevancy of subject matter can be a very powerful tool in the hands of writers.

I think the biggest change for young demos is the ubiquitous focus on 2 eleven minute episodes instead of a 22 minute “half-hour”. The format change has created quicker pacing, gag-oriented stories as opposed to more character based animated drama. Granted, we still have 22 minute stories for prime-time (The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, etc.), but I think we have created an audience that demands instant-plotlines with a preference for gags over depth of character.

Animating back in the 80s and 90s was such an intensive and manual process, do you think modern methods can still offer the same magic?

Absolutely! If anything, the ability to instantaneously see your work as opposed to waiting for the film “dailies” to come back from the lab gives the creative team a multitude of options to pivot, polish, re-work, fine-tune — and still deliver on time. Control over your work has improved immeasurably. The digitization of the creative realm has offered all of the creative team the ability to react, reflect and make choices in real time.

What do you think the animation industry will look like in ten years’ time? Do you think we’re likely to see more retro classics make a comeback?

I think that low cost animation tools will be ubiquitous – anyone that wants to create a professional product will have the technical ability to do so. We will still be interested in great stories and characters that we care for but the distribution channels will be full of UGC – User Generated Content. Having a network determine whether your creativity is seen or not will no longer be relevant – if it is today. Retro versions of today’s hits will undoubtedly be part of the creative landscape – it’s the stories and characters that make your memories happy and worth revisiting. Regardless of method of delivery and/or technological advances, great content will always prevail.

We would like to say a huuuuge thank you to Kevin Gillis for taking the time to talk with us and providing us with some amazing signed goodies which you can now win below. Such an honour.

WIN! WIN! WIN!

That’s right folks! Celebrating the release of our exclusive new The Raccoons Clothing which is now available to buy (go take a look!), we’ve managed to get our hands on some simply amazing The Raccoons goodies which have been signed by creator Kevin Gillis himself! A true treat for any fan of this hit retro show for sure. Let’s take a look…

The Prize

Up for grabs we have have a signed exclusive The Raccoons TShirt, a signed copy of season one and two of the Raccoons on DVD and a handful of The Raccoons badges to sweeten the collection!

How To Enter

To keep things as easy, fair and as accessible as possible, we’re running the comp through our usual little system called Gleam. This will allow you to enter a number of times and in a number of different ways via Twitter, our blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and more. The more ways you enter, the more chances you have of winning. Nice n’ easy!

Just follow the directions below after securely logging in via one of the options to begin completing your entries.

The competition will close at 11:59pm on Monday 29th May (29/05/17). Entries made any time before then will be counted. After this time the system will not accept any further entries.

How Will The Winner Be Chosen?

In the interest of fun and fairness… totally at random! The nifty Gleam system will hop, skip and jump into all your entries and pick out our lucky winner at random. Don’t forget! The more ways you enter, the more chance the plucky Gleam bots will pick you.

Good luck!

Ts&Cs
Only one winner will be chosen at random
There will be no cash alternative of prizes offered
If we do not hear back from the winner within one week, another will be chosen at random and contacted
We reserve the right to cancel the competition at any time without warning
Questions? Email competitions@truffleshuffle.co.uk and we’ll get back to you pronto!